Production of expanded metal



Feb. 16, 1932. H KESSLER 1,845,980

PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL Filed Aug. 18. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet l Feb, 16, 1932.

A. KESSLER PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL 5 Sheet at 2 Filed Aug. 1 192? mm W Feb. 16, 1932. H. A. KESSLER PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL SSSSSSSS ER PROD c 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 16, 1932. H. A. KESSLER .a w A IVL the manufacture of lath.

'" the stretching rolls.

Patented Feb. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IIAR-RY A. KESSLER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'IO KALMAN STEE'L COMPANY,

INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL Application filed August 18, 1927. Serial No. 213,799.

The invention relates to the production of expanded metal and proposes a method for The object is to provide an extremely simple and rapid procedure by which lath having flat strands and bonds lying in a common plane may be economically produced.

Equipment for producing the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: i

Figure 1 is a plan view of the equipment.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view showing a stand of stretching rolls, a stand of finishing rolls and an expansion guide interposed between them.

Figure l is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the features shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail cross section of the rib forming rolls.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a fragment of the blank as it appears on emergence from the rib forming rolls.

Figure 7 is a partial cross sectional view of the rib straightening rolls.

Figure 8 is a plan view of a fragment of the blank as it appears during its travel through the rib straightening rolls shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a detail cross sectionof the stretching rolls.

Figure 10 is a plan view of a fragment of the blank as it appears on its emergence from Figure 11 is a cross section of a guide arranged between the rib forming rolls and the stretching rolls.

The invention is herein shown in connection with the manufacture of ribbed lath and the equipment illustrated consists generally of instrnmenta-lities as follows and which operate on a slitted blank in the order enumerated, namely ribbing rolls, ex-

.; pansion rolls, first expansion guide, first rib straightening rolls second expansion guide, second rib straightening rolls and finishing rolls. The method is characterized by the stretching of the strands which are delimited by the slits and may be practiced with either a hot or cold blank, a heated blank being preferably used.

The blank B with which the process is started is slitted by any suitable mechanism (not shown) and having been brought to the degree of heat desired is ready for treatment by the equipment shown in the draw ings. In the finished product the expansion is preferably of the diamond mesh type and the slitting illustrated is accordingly the well known arrangement of longitudinal rows of slits with the slits of one row in staggered or brealcjoint position relatively to the slits of adjacent rows as illustrated more clearly in Figure 6. For the production of ribbed metal the blank is characterized by longitudinal slitted zones 5 and by parallel unslittedzones A, each slitted zone extending between unslitted zones.

A preferred, although not indispensable detail of procedure (disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 211,- 959) is the formation of the ribs in the first instance, that is to say prior to the major expansion operation. Thereby two advantages are served, first, greater certainty and effectiveness in guiding the blank through the machine by virtue of the cooperation of the guiding parts with ribs which are completely formed and of full depth at the outset of the operation of the machine and second, the stretching and expansion incident to the formation of the ribs of the strands of the two outer rows at each side of each expanded zone. For the ribbing operation cooperating rolls 10 and 11 (Figure 5) are employed. The upper roll 10 is formed with peripheral channels 12 and the lower roll 11 is formed with peripheral ribs 13 which operate in the channels 12and shape the flat non-slitted parts of the blank into re-enforcing ribs (6 of suitable cross section. The ribbing rolls are formed to provide upper and lower clearances 14 and 15 coinciding in location with the marginal portions of the non-slitted zone prior to the ribbing operation. The channels 12 and ribs 13 aline centrally with the non-slitted zones A and their operation in forming the ribs or does not reduce the width of the blank. The reason for this is that as the margins of the nonslitted zones are drawn toward one another incident to the rib-forming operation the strands delimited by the two outer rows of slits of each slitted zone are drawn laterally outward through the clearances 1 and 15 and are thereby stretched and expanded in extensions of their associated zone as clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6. Thus. the blank passes from therolls 11 and 12 with the two outer rows of strands of each slitted zone stretched and expanded.

From the ribbing rolls 1G and 11 the blank passes to expansion rolls 16 and 17,-an in-.

termediate guide 18 which acts on the ribs a being provided to insure the exact registry of the blank with the expansion rolls. The guide 18 is shown in detail in Figure 11, and consists of parallel elements, each composed of an upper bar 1841!, which bears upon a rib a and a lower bar 18?) arranged under the bar 18a and over which the rib a slides. The rolls 16 and 17 include guiding elements which act on the ribs a the roll 16 for such purpose being formed (Figure 9) with peripheral channels 19' and the roll 17 being formed with circumferential ribs 20 which operate in the channels 19. r The channels 19 and ribs 20 conform exactly to the ribs a, and have guiding engagement with said ribs during the passage of the blank through the rolls 16 and 17.

The expansion of the slitted zones is effected by stretching the strands and at the same time bending them from the bonds to delimit the voids and by the present method these operations are so performed that the expansion is completed in single roll pass and the strands and bonds lie fiat when the ribs are subsequently acted on to increase their mutual spacing for the purpose of straightening the cross sections of the expanded areas. Thus I have found that several rows of strands which as a series may be termed a unit panel or group may be stretched at one time injextensions of the plane of such panel and that each slitted zone may be completely expanded throughout its cross section in one operation by acting simultaneously on its several unit panels or groups and any fractions thereof into which it may be resolved. In the practical development of this conception the several unit panels or groups are displaced and stretched at angles to the original plane of the slitted zone into reverse bends or loops and the adjacent panels or groups are preferably connected along expanded curves or bows rather than sharp or well defined angles the strands, during the stretching operation, being maintained flat in the planes of their respective panels or groups whereby upon subsequently increasing the mutual spacing of the ribs a the expanded zones are brought to straight co-planar cross sections and in each expanded zone the strands and bonds lie flat in a common plane.

Stated otherwise each slitted zone in the expansion operation is formed into a tortuous or sinuous cross section in which its strands are stretched and opened out, each convolution of which includes such a number of rows of strands, e. g. six more or less, as it may be practical to expand in one operation and thereafter by suitably increasing the mutual spacing of theribs a the expanded zones are brought to the straight cross sections described. p

The parts of the roll 17 which carry the guide ribs 19' are sufficiently extended at their sides to provide shoulders 20a to engage the strands which were stretched during the ribbing operation'and between the shoulders 20a the rolls are fashioned to co-operate in effooting the major expansion operation. For this purpose each roll is formed with peripheral expansion ribs 21 and peripheral channels 22, the ribs of one roll operating in the channels of the otherroll and the faces of the channelsbeing spaced at all points from the faces of the ribs whereby clearances 23 are provided at the sides of the ribs in which the unit panels described are stretched. The ribs 21 and channels 22 thus provide a tortuous or sinuous pass to which the slitted zone is caused to conform by the oppositely exerted pressure of adjacent ribs and in effecting such conformation the strands of each unit panel or group are maintained and stretched in the plane of the panel or group in its corresponding clearance 23. The ribs 21 at their peripheries are preferably regularly transversely curved whereby the unit panels or groups are connected along bows or arcs, the strands lying within such bows or arcs being likewise stretched or opened out. By thus stretching the strands and forming connections of the unit panels along transversely curved lines the expanded areas may be brought to straight cross sections with the strands and bonds flat and coplanar by subsequent increased mutual spacing of the ribs. As herein shown the roll 16 is formed with four ribs 21 and three channels 22 and the roll 17 is formed with three ribs 21 and with four channels 22. Obviously: the number of ribs and channels may be increased as desired within the limits of practicability. It may be noted that the rows of strands extending beyond the outermost ribs 21 of the roll 16 will be less than the number included in a unit panel, strictly so called, where, as herein shown, the convolutions of the roll pass exduring the ribbing operation is preferably along cross sectionally curved lines which may be provided for by suitably rounding the corners of the shoulders 20 and the fractional panels are stretched in clearances 23a similar to but of course shorter than the clearances On emergence from the stretching rolls the expanded blank is acted upon by any suitable means for increasing the mutual spacing of the ribs in order to bring the expanded zones to flat cross section. If this is accomplished by elements which operate in a common plane it is desirable and in some cases, depending on the number of expanded zones, necessary, that it be carried out in stages which are severally effective on diflerent areas of the expanded blank.

For the purpose of increasing the mutual spacing of the ribs I have shown expansion guides 24; and 525, the guide 24 accomplishing the first stage of such operation and the guide 225; accomplishing the second and lined stage. The guide ea consists of diverging elements 26 arranged in fan-like formation and elements 2? at each side of the series of diverging elements which extend parallel to the outer elements of such series. All of these elements are similar in their individual construction to the elements of the guide 18 previously described. The diverging elements 26 act on all but the two outer ribs of the blank, these being acted on by the elements 27.

3y their divergence the elements 26 effect the straightening of all but the two outer expanded zones and by their parallel relation to the two outer elements 26, the elements 27 maintain the two outer expanded zones of the same cross section which they had on emergence from the rolls 16 and 17. Thus the first stage of cross sectional straightening is effective as to all but the two outer expanded zones. The guide 25 on the other hand acts only upon the two outer expanded zones. For this purpose it consists of parallel ele ments 23 and two outer elements 29 which extend divergingly to the adjacent elements 28. All of these elements are likewise similar in their individual construction to the elements of the guide 18. The parallel elements 28 act on all but the two outer ribs of the blank, these being acted on by the diverging elements 29. The parallel elements are of course alined 'ith the outer ends of the dii 'erging elements LG of the guides 24 and operate essentially as guides, maintaining the straightened expand ed zones without further stretching of the a. tions to which they were brought by g ides 26. The diverging elements en the cross sections of the two outer expanded zones and thus complete the cross sectional a 'aightening of the blank. The reason for eil'ecting the increase of the mutual spacing of the ribs in stages in the mannerdescribed that if it were attempted to opcrate on all ofthe ribs at the same time by elements operative in a common plane the anglesof the outer ribs of the series to the center line of the blank would be so great as to produce undesirable effects on the adjacent expanded zones.

Between the guides 22L and 25 I preferably provide a stand of rolls 30 and 31 which straighten the ribs and guide the blank from the guide 24: to the guide 25. For these purposes the roll 30, (Fig. 7) is formed with peripheral channels 32 and the roll 31 with peripheral ribs The channels 32 and ribs 33 conform exactly to the ribs (1 as to cross section and spacing and act to straighten them while at the same time guiding the blank. The diameters of these rolls in the areas between the two outer pairs of ribs and channels are such that ample clearance is provided for the outer expanded zones which have not been altered from their sinuous cross section.

Beyond the guide 25, I provide a stand of rolls 3% and 35 which are respectively formed with channels 36 and ribs 37 similar to those of the rolls 30 and 31. The rolls 34 and 35 straighten the two outer ribs and otherwise act with guiding effect on the blank.

()11 emergence from the rolls 34; and 35 the blank with all of its expanded zones brought to straight cross section and its ribs in parallel relation is preferably passed through a stand of finishing rolls 38 and 39 which are generally similar to the rolls 34 and 35 and act primarily on the expanded strands to give them a final set and a suitable finish, a guide 40 composed of parallel elements and similar to the guide 18 being arranged in advance of the finishing rolls by which the completed product is delivered from the machine.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of manufacturing metal lath from a slitted blank which consists in displacing from the plane of the blank into an approximately sinuous cross section a series of adjoining groups or rows of strands, supported free of frictional contact, and incident to such displacement stretching the strands while maintaining them flat in the planes of their respective groups and then straightening the cross sections of the displaced and stretched parts.

2. The method of manufacturing metal lath which consists in displacing from the plane of a slitted blank into an approximately sinuous cross section a series of adjoining groups of rows of strands supported free of frictional contact, while maintaining the con nection of said groups to one another along lines of transverse curvature, and incident to such displacement stretching the strands of said groups while maintaining them flat in the planes of their respective groups and then straightening the cross section of the displaced and stretched parts.

3. The method of manufacturing metal lath from a blank having slitted zones and parallel non-slitted zones alternating With the slitted zones which consists in displacing from the plane of the blank into an approxi- 5 mately sinuous cross section while supported free of frictional contact groups of rows of strands into which each zone may be resolved and thereby, in a single operation in cident to such displacement, stretching the strands while maintaining them fiat in the planes of their respective groups and then increasing the mutual spacing of the non-slitted zones to straighten the cross sections of the displaced and stretched parts. 4. The method of manufacturing metal 7 lath from a blank having slitted zones and parallel non-slitted zones alternating with t the slitted zones which consists in displacing from the plane of the blank and at angles 20 to one another to form reverse bends or loops while supported free of frictional contact, groups of rows of strands into which each slitted zone may be resolved and thereby, in a single operation incident to such displace- 5 ment,stretching the strands while maintaining them flat in the planes of their respective groups, then increasing the mutual spacing of certain of the non-slitted zones to straighten the cross sections of the parts extending '30 between them and thereafter, without further increase of the spacing of the non-slitted zones previously acted upon, increasing the mutual spacing of the remaining non-slitted zones.

' 5 In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HARRY A. KESSLER. 

